Is extended warranty needed?

[Marcus500]

Hi guys, I'm brand new to this forum. I just picked up a 2006 300 SRT8 with 50k kilometers. I was wondering if you guys think getting a factory (Chrysler) extended warranty for 2 years and 40k kms for $2500. is a good investment. Thanks in advance

[vyper883]

Yes it is.

Our cars are plagued with front suspension issues. Tie rods (inner and outer), tension strut and lower control arm bushings, steering rack, and upper/lower ball joints. These wear out and fail prematurely. I replaced my inner/outer tie rods- outer ones were totally garbage at 60000kms. My inner not so bad but getting there. Tension/control arm bushings are starting to crack.

Half shafts have been known to snap, even on stock SRT's. Engines are pretty much bullet-proof, other than the piston ring lands, which have been known to break, but unless you are planning on turbocharging/supercharging I would not be too concerned. Transmission is generally solid.

Other little knick knacks like cooling relays, fan motors, and cooling fans can be problematic. HID ballasts and capsules can fail- expensive. Little quirks with interior instrumentation/illumination bulbs burning out.

While you're under warranty, make sure you get as many TSB's as you can, done on the car. Make them work for that 2500 bucks. TSB's are sometimes free of charge at the discretion of the dealer, but under warranty you pay nothing. Go to the TSB section of the forum, and ferret out any TSB's that apply to the vehicle.

During the course of your ownership under warranty, do not EVER sign anything pertaining to diagnostic charges, while you vehicle is is for warranty repairs. You argument should be that if the car was functioning properly, it would not need a diagnosis anyway, and that's why you dished out $2500 of your hard-earned money. Finding out what's wrong, is part of the repair process. The repair process is under warranty, and you PAID for it. If they insist, Inform them that you will contact the Head office. You might also have to deal with ridiculous moronic uncommon sense. What do I mean by that? Read on:

I used to own a 99 Chrysler Sebring LXi. While it was under warrantry, I had it in for an oil change. They did an inspection and found that one of my front struts was leaking, and offered to replace it under warranty. I said great; replace both of them while you're at it. They said no as it's only the one. The car had 78000 K on it at the time. ( I also paid for an extended warranty) Now how is the car supposed to handle properly with a brand new strut on one side, and one with 78000k on the other? Things of this nature are supposed to be replaced TOGETHER. But I digress.

Now that Chrysler is under Fiat management, things are different. Fiat's execs are car-guys- they get it and they are very enthusiastic about performance and quality of their products, and believe in customer satisfaction. You can see it in the newer Chrysler products- look at the new interiors and electronics alone! These are the same folks that own Ferrari. Unfortunately these enthusiasms and ideals, have had a hard time trickling into the dealership service departments in North America. Generally The buying experience is great, but that's where it stops- at least in my experience, and I've dealt with almost EVERY dealership in my city. To put it in a few words, Chrysler customer service SUCKS.

If you're the kind of guy that likes to get his hands dirty, the parts department is usually very helpful and friendly, but expect to pay through the nose for some ridiculous parts that obviously should not cost anywhere near what the listed prices are. Your SRT brake pads for instance, south of $450 and that's just for the front pads. That's just one example. You have to shop around for aftermarket parts sometimes that will almost always be cheaper, and of better quality. I hope this helps.

[eltech]

yes it is, but make sure you know what the warranty does, and does not cover.

[stevesrt8]

Sorry, but I do not think the extended warranties are worth the powder to blow them to hell. Major consumer groups say the same thing. You're usually far better off to simply put 2 or 3 grand away as an investment and at least get a return.

While some members here have had issues my car has been virtually trouble free (purchased August 05) and has needed mostly tires and brakes. This despite TONS of drag strip passes and road course track days!

Most SRT8's are a rock. You will likely find the car to be quite reliable if cared for.

[MADDOG]

Mine paid off but not everyone's does. It's like insurance, you may not need it but you are thankful if you do. But I agree with ^^^^ in that you can put the money aside, earn some interest and use it for a repair if need be.

You do indeed need to understand the limits of the coverage and deductible arrangement. Also, $2500 for that terms is a very high price. You can do better working directly with Chrysler/

[treemac67]

yes i think so i have one and to say my condenser in the AC was bad and i only paid 100 bucks and the remaining was covered ...total was 1500 bucks! now my wiper module is bad wipers just stay on and activate for no reason?100 bucks and they cover the rest.i say its worth it.

[Aussie_6.4HEMI]

My NEW 300 SRT8 comes with 3yrs 100,000 klm warrenty, the dealer also extended this to 6yrs as part of what they offer to new Dodge / Chrysler buyers.